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In the Dugout

Ode to a Faithful Fan

By K.T. Miller

The Lamar Ledger

Posted:
04/02/2014 05:32:31 PM MDT

For 22 years my crew loaded up and headed to Denver for the Colorado Rockies Opening Day. Three of us never missed a home opener. Besides myself, my son and my mother always managed to make it to the most exciting game of any season.

This year there will one less. Mom was a faithful fan but fell two weeks short of making the Opening Day extravaganza she enjoyed so much. As her body was physically giving out in the hospital, we were still talking and laughing about how we had made it to every home opener even though it was very difficult at times.

The blizzard in 1995 was fairly memorable. I was working in Texas and drove to Lamar to pick up Mom and Dad on my way to Denver. Dad got to the truck stop west of Lamar and made us take him back home - he was a fair weather fan to say the least. My son and his friend were driving up from school in Oklahoma that same day, slipping and sliding right behind us.

Needless to say we clawed our way through a raging blizzard to get to the game - which had been delayed until evening (not because of the weather but so television could broadcast the first game from brand new Coors Field in prime time).

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Long story short - Dante Bichette hit a walk off home run in the bottom of the 14th inning to win the game. However, it was nearly midnight by then and we all loaded back up and made the trek back to Lamar and on to Texas and Oklahoma. I know Mom and I went to work the next day on very little sleep - I'm not sure whether my son hit the books or not! Not, I think!

We just never missed the home opener. It took precedence over nearly everything.

Nearly everything - but there are some things providence decides. Mom's doctor asked me how long he had to get mother better and out of the hospital for the game. When I told him April 4, he looked at me sadly and shook his head.

Today the Rockies will be without one of their biggest supporters. But she will be providing commentary and support from a higher plane - she will be pitching high hard heat from a loftier pitching mound.

Will the Rockies need that type of support?

No doubt. Having already dropped the first two games to the Florida Marlins it looks to be another tough year.

None tougher for me and my crew however. But Mom was always game (she went to many games during the year and throughout the Rockies history).

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